Hand tool

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a hand operated tool for assembling tubular connecting devices. More particularly the invention resides in a pair of opposing jaws, each the mirror image of the other and having laterally movable flange-engaging inserts pivotally mounted on flange-engaging rigid semi-circular base portions. The inserts move out to permit the positioning of the tubular connecting device in the bed of the base portion and upon such positioning, the inserts spring back into position to form an enclosure about the device.

Unlted States Patent 11 1 1111 3,845,538 Demler, Sr. Nov. 5, 1974 [54] HAND TOOL 2,958,125 11/1960 Nichols 29/234 3,096,572 7/1963 Simmons 29/237 [75] Inventor- Henry 3,653,! 15 4/1972 Perkins 29/282 Lebanon, Pa.

[73] Assignee: AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. P m ry Exami l m s L- 0 s, 'r. Filed: p 1974 Attorney, Agent, or FzrmAlian B. Osborne, Esq.

[21] Appl. No.: 457,668 [57] ABSTRACT Related US. Application Data This invention relates to a hand operated tool for as- [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 313,711, June 26, 1973, tubu ar connecting devices. More particuabandoned larly the 1nvent1on res1des 1n a pan of opposing aws,

each the mirror image of the other and having later- 52 us. 01 29/234, 29/267, 81/421 y movable flange-engaging inserts Pivotally 51 1111. C1 323p 19/04 mounted on flange-engaging rigid Semi-Circular base [58 Field of Search 29/234, 282, 237, 221, Portions The inserts move out to Permit the Position- 29 235 239 2 7; 1 421 422 425 A ing of the tubular connecting device in the bed of the base portion and upon such positioning, the inserts 56] R f r n Cited spring back into position to form an enclosure about UNITED STATES PATENTS the 2,739,373 3/1956 Kane 29/282 x 7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures HAND TOOL This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 373,71 l, filed June 26, I973, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the field of conduit, tubular or pipe couplings a superior tubular connecting device was developed and is described in the Demler US. Pat. No. 3,674,292, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The connecting device includes among other elements, a symetrical plastic body having a centrally positioned annular groove, and two ferrule members each having a laterally projecting flange at one end. The two ferrule members are drawn onto the body from either end by a hand tool having semi-circular jaw members. The nature of the tool is that it grips the groove with one jaw member and the flange with the other and, moving one jaw member toward the other, advances the ferrule member'onto an end of the body. The process is repeated for the second ferrule member.

Subsequent to the development of the hand tool it was discovered that the force being transmitted by the jaw members was being unevenly distributed on the I plastic body because the semi-circular jaw members were engaging the body for about 180. The uneven application of force sometimes resulted in body cracking 'or breaking.

Accordingly the present invention provides a hand tool for use in assembling tubular connecting devices wherein the two opposing jaws each consist of a U- shaped rigid base member and, continuing up from either end of the base member, a pair of opposing inserts,

each having a curved inner surface and pivotally at- FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a'partial perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the hand tool embodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a jaw member of the hand toolof FIG. 2

FIG. 4 is a elevational view of the entire hand tool of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate the method of use of the hand tool of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 8 illustrates a different embodiment of the hand tool embodying features of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows the head end of a prior art hand too]. At the end of handles 10 and 12 are identical jaw members l4 and 16. Each jaw member includes as an integral part thereof a pair of depending, slot-defining plates 18 which provide a method of attaching the jaw from FIGS. 1 and 2, the differences between the prior art tool and the present invention lie in the jaw members of FIG. 2 which will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and'S.

Jaw member 24, which is attached to stationary handle 26, is identical in all respects to opposing jaw member 28 which is attached to moving handle 30. Each jaw member has, asan integral part thereof a pair of slotdefining plates 32. With an end of handles 26-30 being received in the respective slot, the jaw members are attached thereto by welding.

On top of plates 32 is the base portion 34 of each jaw member. Base portion 34 includes two lateral, rear supports 36 separated one from the other by a longitudinally-extending, semi-circular channel 38, and a U- shaped front plate 40 which extends across the front of base portion 34. The rear supports 36 are separated from plate 40 by recesses 42, one on either side.

A longitudinal hole 44 extend thru each rear support 36 and each leg 46 on plate 40.

lntersecting channel 38 is a U-shaped inwardly projecting rib 48 whose legs terminate about half-way up relative to supports 36 and plate 40.

Although the elements of the jaw member described above can be made from separate pieces and then joined together, the preferred method of forming is by milling so that each described element is integral with the whole.

Two generally ear-shaped inserts 50 are pivotally mounted in opposing relation in each jaw member, one in each recess 42, mounting may be by means of a pin 52 extending thru holes 44 and an aligned hole 53 in the inserts.

From the peak 54 of each insert the inside edge; i.e., the edge facing the opposite insert when they are mounted in a jaw member, angles downwardly to a lobe 56. Below the lobe, the edge is curved at the same radius as is rib 48 so that that surface and the shoulder surface 57 provides a smooth, continuous curved surface. The curved portion is designated by refernece numeral 58.

At the lower end of curved surface 58, the edge bends back to provide a generally flat surface which mates with the corresponding flat surface on top of each leg of the aforementioned rib 48. From that surface the edge presents a convex surface 60 curving members to the handles. The preferred method of such attachment is by welding.

The remaining portion of each jaw member includes a channel 20 terminated at its face by a U-shaped shoulder 22. a

FIG. 2 shows the head end of the hand tool embodying features of the present invention. As is apparent about hole 53 to a vertical surface 62 the bottom of which terminates the inside edge of the insert. As is apparent from FIG. 5, the convex surface provides a bearing surface between the insert and the vertical outside surface 64 of rib 48.

The sides 66 of each insert are relieved around hole 53 to accommodate a torsion spring 68. The spring, seen in FIG. 5, is. wrapped around pin 52 with its legs bearing against surfaces 62 and 64 thereby biasing the lower part (below hole 53) of the insert outwardly and the upper part (above hole 53) inwardly toward the opposing insert.

FIG. 4 illustrates the entire hand tool, hereinafter designated by the reference numeral 70. In addition to stationary handle .26 and moving handle 30, the latter being pivotally connected to the former by pin 71 extending through spur 73, the tool includes an actuating lever 72 which is pivotally mounted to moving handle 30, and double links 74 which are pivotally mounted to each side of stationary handle 26 and to lever 72. The arrangement of the handles and linkage is such that as lever 72 is pulled away from the handles, the jaw members 24-28 separate one from the other. As the lever is pushed in towards the handles, the jaw members approach each other.

OPERATION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 7 illustrates a tubular connecting device for which the present invention was developed. The device, used to connect two flexible pipes 80 together, consist of an elongated body 82 having a centrally positioned annular groove 84 defined by annular body flanges 86 and tubular extensions 88 extending longitudinally outwardly from body flanges 86. In addition, there are two pipe insert members 90 (only one of which is shown) which are inserted into the open ends of the pipe being connected, and two ferrule members 92 which are drawn onto extensions 88 by hand tool 70. Each ferrule member has on one end a ferrule flange 94.

In assembling the connecting device, the ends of pipes 80, with insert members 90 therein, are pushed into passages 96 in body 82 as seen in FIG. 7. Ferrule members 92, with ferrule flanges 94 facing toward body groove 84, are pushed onto tubular extensions 88 by hand as far as possible. Hand tool 70 is now placed onto the partially assembled device (or vice versa) so that a body flange 86 is on the inside of one insert and the ferrule flange 94 on a ferrule member 92 is on the inside of the opposing insert. Referring now to FIG. 5, note that inserts 50 pivot outwardly to permit the passing therethru of the partially assembled device and as such comes to rest in channels 38, the inserts pivot back so that the surfaces of ribs 48 (surface 57) and inserts 50 (curved portion 58) almost completely surround the device (or more exactly, groove 84 and ferrule member 92) and that the outwardly facing faces of ribs 48 and inserts 50 bear against body flange 86 and ferrule flange 94. FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate this positioning. Subsequent to the above positioning, lever 72 is moved towards handles 26-30 and jaws member 28 approaches jaw member 24, drawing ferrule member 92 onto tubular extension 88 upon ferrule flange 94 abutting the outside face of body flange 86, the connection as to that side of the connecting device is completed. The same process is performed on the opposite side to complete the connection.

While the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2-7 provide a curved surface 57 and curved portions 58 which together define an arc of about 315, an embodiment shown in FIG. 8 provides a curved surface 57 and curved portions 58 which together define an arc of about 360. This embodiment allows the tubular connecting device to be gripped completely around by the jaw members, of course, inserts 50 may be made with curved portions defining any desired arc.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

l. A hand tool for use in pulling together flanged tubular members, which comprises:

a. a first handle having a jaw end and a holding end;

til

b. a second handle having a jaw end and a pivoting end, said pivoting end being pivotally connected to the first handle adjacent its holding end and its jawreceiving end adjacent the jaw-receiving end on the first handle;

c. actuating means linked to the first and second handles for moving the handles so that the jaw ends move toward or away from each other;

d. jaw members attached to each jaw end and each having a tubular member-receiving channel and an upstanding rib positioned transversely in the channel; and

e. a pair of inserts on each jaw member, said inserts pivotally mounted on either side of the channel and in alignment with the rib and movable in a plane normal to the axis of the jaw members, said inserts adapted to be pivoted laterally outwardly to admit the tubular member and to be pivoted laterally inwardly to abut, in cooperation with the rib, a side of the flange on the tubular member.

2. The hand tool of claim 1 wherein the actuating means includes a lever arm with a first end pivotally mounted to the second handle below its jaw end, and a link member pivotally mounted at one end to the first handle below its jaw end and pivotally mounted at its other end to the lever arm near its first end.

3. The lever arm of claim 2 wherein the first end is angled with respect to the arms longitudinal axis and the link member is pivoted thereto on the angled end.

4. The hand tool of claim 1 wherein the surface of the upstanding rib is curved in a general U-shape and whose legs extend upwardly along either side of the channel.

5. The hand tool of claim 4 wherein the inserts have a curved inwardly facing surface which generally complements the surface of the rib.

6. The hand tool of claim 5 wherein the curved surfaces of the rib and inserts define an arc of from about 315 to about 360.

7. A hand tool for use in pulling a flanged tubular member onto a flanged tubular body, which comprises:

a. an elongated stationary handle having a jaw end,

a holding end, and a laterally projecting spur intermediate the two ends;

b. an elongated moving handle having a jaw end and a pivoting end with the latter being pivotally attached to the laterally projecting spur so that the two jaw ends face one another;

c. an elongated actuating lever having a bent end and a holding end with the former pivotally attached to the moving handle intennediate the two ends;

d. a link with one end pivotally attached to the stationary handle and the other end pivotally attached to the actuating lever between its bent end and holding end so that as the lever is rotated about its pivoted bent end, the jaw ends of the handles move toward or away from each other;

e. a pair of jaw members, each attached to the jaw end of a handle and having a generally curved U- shaped channel extending parallel to the direction of travel of the handles and a generally curved U- shaped rib transversely positioned in and intersecting the channel with the legs of the rib extending upwardly on either side of the channel;

pivoted outwardly to admit either a tubular member or tubular body into the channel with the ribtherein abutting the outer side of the flange and to be pivoted inwardly to abut additional portions of the outer side of the flange. 

1. A hand tool for use in pulling together flanged tubular members, which comprises: a. a first handle having a jaw end and a holding end; b. a second handle having a jaw end and a pivoting end, said pivoting end being pivotally connected to the first handle adjacent its holding end and its jaw-receiving end adjacent the jaw-receiving end on the first handle; c. actuating means linked to the first and second handles for moving the handles so that the jaw ends move toward or away from each other; d. jaw members attached to each jaw end and each having a tubular member-receiving channel and an upstanding rib positioned transversely in the channel; and e. a pair of inserts on each jaw member, said inserts pivotally mounted on either side of the channel and in alignment with the rib and movable in a plane normal to the axis of the jaw members, said inserts adapted to be pivoted laterally outwardly to admit the tubular member and to be pivoted laterally inwardly to abut, in cooperation with the rib, a side of the flange on the tubular member.
 2. The hand tool of claim 1 wherein the actuating means includes a lever arm with a first end pivotally mounted to the second handle below its jaw end, and a link member pivotally mounted at one end to the first handle below its jaw end and pivotally mounted at its other end to the lever arm near its first end.
 3. The lever arm of claim 2 wherein the first end is angled with respect to the arm''s longitudinal axis and the link member is pivoted thereto on the angled end.
 4. The hand tool of claim 1 wherein the surface of the upStanding rib is curved in a general U-shape and whose legs extend upwardly along either side of the channel.
 5. The hand tool of claim 4 wherein the inserts have a curved inwardly facing surface which generally complements the surface of the rib.
 6. The hand tool of claim 5 wherein the curved surfaces of the rib and inserts define an arc of from about 315* to about 360*.
 7. A hand tool for use in pulling a flanged tubular member onto a flanged tubular body, which comprises: a. an elongated stationary handle having a jaw end, a holding end, and a laterally projecting spur intermediate the two ends; b. an elongated moving handle having a jaw end and a pivoting end with the latter being pivotally attached to the laterally projecting spur so that the two jaw ends face one another; c. an elongated actuating lever having a bent end and a holding end with the former pivotally attached to the moving handle intermediate the two ends; d. a link with one end pivotally attached to the stationary handle and the other end pivotally attached to the actuating lever between its bent end and holding end so that as the lever is rotated about its pivoted bent end, the jaw ends of the handles move toward or away from each other; e. a pair of jaw members, each attached to the jaw end of a handle and having a generally curved U-shaped channel extending parallel to the direction of travel of the handles and a generally curved U-shaped rib transversely positioned in and intersecting the channel with the legs of the rib extending upwardly on either side of the channel; f. a groove positioned in each sidewall of the channel in alignment with the legs of the rib; and g. a pair of inserts for each jaw member and having curved inner surfaces complementing the curved surfaces of the channel and rib, each insert pivotally mounted in a groove and movable in a plane normal to the channel, said inserts adapted to be pivoted outwardly to admit either a tubular member or tubular body into the channel with the rib therein abutting the outer side of the flange and to be pivoted inwardly to abut additional portions of the outer side of the flange. 